Leicestershire & Rutland made history as they were crowned 2025 Men’s County Champions for the first time in the competition’s 99-year history.
In a dramatic final late September Sunday at St Enodoc GC in Devon, three of the four county teams were able to win the title, and around the turn of the afternoon singles it looked as if Lancashire were going to complete a remarkable turnaround.
But Leicestershire & Rutland held their cool to not just pick up enough points, but to ensure they won all three matches.
In doing so, they also became the first Midlands county to win the title in 35 years, while amazingly due to the final-day drama, Lancashire finished 4th, with Kent 2nd and Gloucestershire 3rd.
Leicestershire & Rutland Captain Richard Wale, who was one of just four players at the event to win all of his singles matches said, “There were leaderboards out there and our advisor was telling us just how close it was! We looked like we were never out of it, but right at the end there, we came good.
“It’s amazing, the lads are so excited about this. We’ve been practising and playing all season, eight games unbeaten – five league matches and three here – it’s going to be good fun tonight!
“We’ve had messages galore coming in from the lads at Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk – they all wanted us to win it as much as we did.
“Six of the lads work, with one playing golf full-time, so getting time off work and things like that, it’s a huge effort and I really appreciate it from all of them.”
Images – c/o Leaderboard Photography/England Golf
